IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME IN THE CITY – Bayonne High School’s Drama Parents Association welcomed the newest addition to the Bayonne High School landscape this weekend when a magnificent 12-foot Blue Spruce tree was lit to welcome the holidays and the opening weekend of BHS Drama’s fall production “Miracle on 34th Street.” The tree was donated by Brian Baran Jr. and Anthony Barbagallo, owners of Go Green Building Supply in Bayonne, for holiday use by future generations of BHS students. The tree was transported and planted on the BHS lawn along with a magnificent landscape of tulips, coming this spring, by Marco Loffreno, owner of Loffreno Landscaping and Concrete Corporation. On hand to light the tree were Mayor Mark Smith; Dr. Patricia McGeehan, superintendent of schools; Debbie Baran, Bayonne Drama Parents Association group president; Go Green Building Supply proprietors Brian Baran Jr. and Anthony Barbagallo; and Marco Loffreno, owner of Loffreno Landscape and Concrete Corporation.

Rick Garrison, the Jersey City police officer whose car crashed in Bayonne last year and killed an 82-year-old woman, will face no charges, as determined by a review by the Jersey City Police Department.

Garrison, according to his attorney, John Young, was emotionally distraught after the seven-car crash resulted in the death of the woman.

It is unclear at this time if he will continue as a police officer, officials said.

FBI reports copycat terroristic threat

Officials from the FBI informed the city that on Thanksgiving night, someone called in a terroristic threat aimed at the city of Bayonne. The call came on the heels of the arrest of Jose Pimentel, who was arrested by New York City police on Nov. 19 and had allegedly named the Bayonne Police Department as a possible target.

City officials immediately increased security in the city after the threats.

The FBI apparently has identified the newest caller and said it was not a credible threat. City officials said the FBI apparently knows the identity of the caller and will shortly make an arrest.

Regarding Pimentel, city officials said they have checked records and found no connection between him and Bayonne to explain why he allegedly named Bayonne as a target.

School district to lobby Dec. 7 to restore aid

The Bayonne School District will be holding a rally on Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. in the Alexander X. O’Connor Auditorium, 669 Ave. A, to launch its “Bayonne Kids Count, Too” campaign.

The district hopes to get parents and others involved in a campaign to push state officials into restoring tens of millions of dollars which are – under state guidelines – due to the school district.

“We’re underfunded by the state of New Jersey by $47 million,” said Schools Superintendent Dr. Patricia McGeehan, pointing to recent cuts imposed by Gov. Christopher Christie.

While Bayonne is hardly alone – since it is one of 200 districts in the state that have been shortchanged – Bayonne is the most impacted.

Rosalie Moran, director of assessment for Title One for the Bayonne School District, said Bayonne school officials gathered in North Bergen with leaders from other affected school districts to devise a strategy to recover the funds, and where David Sierra of the New Jersey Education Law Center explained the problem.

The plan is to have parents and others take part in a letter-writing campaign to “enlighten” the governor to the impact of the cuts.

Exhaust fan blamed for house fire on Avenue E

The Bayonne Fire Department responded to 754 Ave. E at about 10 p.m. on Nov. 23, encountering a fire in the bathroom ceiling of the third-floor apartment. The fire partially extended through the wood ceiling joists into the adjacent kitchen ceiling. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire that caused minimal damage. The tenants of all three apartments were permitted to return to the structure. The owner responded to the scene to handle remediation efforts. The fire investigator focused on a ceiling mounted electrical exhaust fan, and ruled the fire accidental. There were no reported injuries.

Driver extracted from car after accident on Broadway

On Nov. 25 at 2 p.m., the Bayonne Fire Department responded to Broadway and Marion Court for a vehicle accident. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered a Nissan Murano on its side after apparently colliding with a parked vehicle. The sole occupant of the Murano was trapped in the vehicle, requiring extrication. Rescue crews used hydraulic cutting equipment to access the driver, and passed her on to EMS. She was reportedly transported to Jersey City Medical Center for care.

Barney Frank won’t seek re-election

Bayonne native and staunch supporter of liberal ideas U.S. Representative Barney Frank said he would not seek reelection to his seat on the House of Representatives, where he has served the Boston area since 1981.

Frank, a pioneer in gay rights after openly declaring in 1987 that he was gay, said that inability of congressional representatives to come to a consensus on issues was among the reasons he is not running. The 71-year-old congressman also faced a tough re-election fight after his district was reconfigured, stripping it of traditional Democrat sections.

Bayonne girls get science grants

Eight of nine girl students who applied for the Young Science Achievers Program this year will be getting mini grants to fund their projects. They were invited to Princeton University for Science Day in early November.

The Young Science Achievers Program offers grants of up to $500 per project for projects with two or more students in the project. A project submitted by one student is limited to a total funding of $250.

This is done to encourage students to work together in groups of two or more on projects. YSAP serves public and private high schools (grades 9 through 12) throughout the State of New Jersey and New York City and is open to all applicants, but targets young women of any ethnicity and males of African American, Hispanic, or Native American descent.

A goal of this program is to increase the number of participants from underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

The grants will fund the projects throughout the school year and the students will have their final presentations in June at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. The students will also take part in other competitions throughout the year, including the Hudson County Science Fair early in 2012.